American loyalists

The Loyalists, also known as Tories, Royalists, or King's Men, were members of American society during the American Revolution that supported Great Britain and were opposed to independence. The loyalists made up around 15% of the population during the 1770s, and they were often attacked by the patriots as a result of their beliefs. Some were tarred and feathered, others burnt with candle sticks, and others hanged; however, they were responsible for several atrocities, lynching patriots and assisting Native Americans in attacks against patriot settlements on the frontier. Many loyalists fled to Canada or the United States after the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783, with 70,000 of the 500,000 loyalists fleeing to other parts of the British Empire.